| A very pleasant and short drive from the | | | | poignant war cemetery for New Zealand soldiers. |
| beautiful and ancient town of Winchester in | | | | The neat rows of tombstones commemorate |
| Hampshire, lies Brockenhurst, the largest of the | | | | over one hundred soldiers who died in the nearby |
| New Forest villages. It is a place of immense | | | | field hospital during World War I. |
| charm; surrounded by forest, where ponies walk | | | | Also, to be found in the graveyard is the tomb of |
| in the middle of its roads, where the driver | | | | Harry Mills, better known as 'Brusher' Mills. His |
| passes through a ford and where a famous | | | | nickname came from his occupation of brushing |
| citizen once caught snakes and was reputed to | | | | Brockenhurst cricket pitch before a match to |
| be immune to their venom. | | | | remove twigs and leaves and, no doubt, the |
| The name Brockenhurst is traditionally said to | | | | droppings of the ponies and cattle who wandered |
| mean 'badger wood'. However it is more likely | | | | about the roads. But his main claim to fame was |
| that the name means 'broken wooded hill' - | | | | that he made his living from catching snakes in |
| broken in the sense of divided by the valleys and | | | | the Forest. Apparently, it was said he was |
| streams of the New Forest. The village is ancient. | | | | immune from the venom of the Adder - Britain's |
| It was first recorded in the Domesday Book. In | | | | only poisonous snake. He prepared a primitive |
| the twelfth century the Manor was held by Peter | | | | anti-snakebite serum from the snakes |
| Spilman. In return, he had to provide litter for the | | | | themselves, sending any spare specimens to |
| King's bed and hay for his horse - when the King | | | | London Zoo as food for secretary birds and other |
| would visit on his frequent hunting trips to the | | | | creatures that enjoyed dining on snakes. He also |
| Forest. The New Forest was cultivated as a Royal | | | | made a small income from 'rescuing' visitors from |
| hunting ground since Norman times. | | | | snakes that suddenly appeared amongst them. |
| Many minor roads in the New Forest pass through | | | | Whether visitors paid him in thanks for their |
| a ford - most being dry for most of the year. | | | | rescue or for being entertained, we can only |
| The most famous of the fords is in Brockenhurst | | | | imagine. |
| 'watersplash' at the western end of the main | | | | If you want to wander beyond the village into the |
| street, called Brookley Road. At the other end of | | | | New Forest, you should head towards Roydon |
| Brookley Road, near the main-line station, you will | | | | Woods Nature Reserve. You can reach the Wood |
| find the New Forest Cycle Experience - a great | | | | about half a mile outside the village on the |
| way to explore the Forest. The village has two | | | | Brochenhurst-Lymington road (A337). The area is |
| car parks. It is highly recommended that you park | | | | an ancient woodland rich in wildlife with some |
| up and explore the village by foot or bicycle. At | | | | areas of both dry and wet heathland. You should |
| one of the car parks stands a brick plinth. | | | | always keep to the clearly marked paths. You can |
| Attached to it is a 'wheel plate', a great disc of | | | | get an information leaflet from Hampshire Wildlife |
| cast iron which was used until 1915 by the local | | | | Trust (023 80613636). |
| forge when fixing metal rims to wooden wagon | | | | If you are staying in Winchester or anywhere else |
| wheels. | | | | in Hampshire you should consider taking at least |
| Heading south out of Brockenhurst you will find St | | | | one day out to explore the New Forest. It is a |
| Nicholas's Church. It is the oldest church in the | | | | unique place in England. Its woodland and heathland |
| Forest and is adorned by a beautiful Norman | | | | has been cultivated for well over a millennia. It is a |
| doorway. In the church yard you can wander | | | | haven for Britain's rarest wildlife as well as some |
| about the many ancient headstones. If you do so, | | | | of its most picturesque villages. |
| you'll come across a very surprising and yet | | | | |